Funds are requested to help defray the expenses of the fifth biannual Neurotrophin Gordon Conference, which will take place in June, 2001. The goal of the Neurotrophin Gordon Conference is to provide a forum for the exchange of new information about neurotrophic factors and to facilitate the dissemination of new tools and approaches for studying these important proteins. Neurotrophic factors are polypeptide growth and differentiation factors that influence the properties and functions of neurons and non-neuronal cells within the nervous system. The identification and characterization of neurotrophic factors has had a major impact on modern research in developmental biology. During vertebrate development, these factors play essential roles in regulating neuronal survival, proliferation, differentiation, axon growth and guidance, and synapse formation. In the mature nervous system, neurotrophic factors regulate the expression of neurotransmitters and their receptors, and modulate synaptic function. In animal models, the loss of particular neurotrophic factors has been shown in some cases to have dramatic effects on nervous system development, and in other cases, to affect mature functions of the brain, such as learning, memory, and behavior. Several neurotrophic factors have been found to suppress the loss of neurons that occurs in response to a variety of toxic insults and in animal models of human neurodegenerative disease. Research on neurotrophic factors has facilitated the characterization of neural stem cells, a population of cells that may eventually be used in efforts to repair the injured or diseased brain. Efforts to employ neurotrophic factors in experimental treatments of Alzheimer's Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinson's Disease, stroke, and spinal cord injury continue. Clinical trials examining possible beneficial effects for these factors in the treatment of sensory neuropathies and pain are fairly advanced. The best characterized neurotrophic factors are the neurotrophins, which include Nerve Growth Factor and its close relatives BDNF, NT-3 and NT-4. Over the last decade, many additional soluble and membrane-bound polypeptides that promote the growth and development of cells of the nervous system have been identified, including neuropoietic cytokines, such as CNTF and LIF, members of the TGF-beta superfamily, the ephrins, netrins, and slits. Current research in this field aims to define the diverse biological actions of the many neurotrophic factors and to characterize the signaling mechanisms that mediate the effects of these factors. This research effort is being enhanced by a variety of novel strategies for the discovery and functional characterization of neurotrophic factors including newly developed molecular, electrophysiological, and imaging technologies, and through the innovative use of genomics and proteomics. The latest findings and innovations in the neurotrophic factor field and the possible therapeutic potential of these neurotrophic factors will be the subject of intense discussion and debate at the upcoming Gordon Conference.